Regards,

Gloria

Due to a premature and prolonged warm spell this April, Medina’s flowering trees — streets and streets of white pear and crab apple– have burst into a tsunami of blossoms that have lasted longer than usual.  Driving or walking down certain streets in town is like entering a fragrant cloud canopy.

This legacy of beauty comes to us courtesy of the Shade Tree Commission and its commitment to the creation of a “healthy urban forest” in Medina.

Created about thirty years ago by the city administration, the Shade Tree Commission is an offshoot of the national program, Shade Tree U.S.A. The Medina group began with $1,600 — a small amount even then — and a handful of passionate volunteers.  Perhaps the most passionate was the late and legendary Harold Thoburn, an Agricultural Extension Agent who, upon retirement, devoted all his time and energy to the Shade Tree Commission.

The group began planting trees in the tree lawns of old and new residential streets, as well as on other public properties.  Flowering trees were not the only types selected.  The Commission also planted Golden Rain trees, oaks, maples and sweet gum trees.

“Trees are selected because of their suitability to a particular tree lawn,” says Virginia Jeandrevin, one of the original members of the Shade Tree commission.  “This varies from neighborhood to neighborhood.”

Over the years, the budget of the Shade Tree Commission has increased and ten years ago, the City of Medina hired a full time City Forester.

Virginia Jeandrevin also points out that in surveys of what residents consider important in a community, an abundance of trees is listed in second or third place. (Schools are first.)

Well then, is there anyone who is not happy with this profusion of petals?  Unfortunately, yes.  Consider the plight of all the allergy sufferers, plagued with the worst pollen conditions in years, consigned to the indoors with nothing to do but ingest their medications.

(Photos by David Brown)

Beautiful? Yes, unless you suffer from allergies.

Marge describes the inspiration for the painting which is rendered in watercolor and Perma Pencil ( artists’ quality colored pencils.)

“I painted it after returning home from my daughter’s house where I spent time with her two very rambunctious boys, age two and three.  I thoroughly enjoyed watching them and playing with them and marveling at their constant motion, bouncing up and down, jumping all around — unlimited energy.  After I got home, quite exhausted after spending a week with them, I tried to express their movement and my joy at being with them.”

Otley is well-known in the area for her award-winning and widely exhibited abstract art. Trained as an art teacher, the Michigan native has studied at the Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis and with Medina’s water-color guru, Fred Graff.  It was a class in a Detroit suburb, however, that pushed her onto  the path of abstract art.

“I came into this class and everyone was doing abstract art,” she recalls. “All I had ever done was realism.  This abstract art was  foreign to me, bewildering.  But everyone there was obviously well trained and talented.  They knew what they were doing.  So I tried it.  And I became hooked.”

She explains the difference.  “With realism, I always know where I’m going and I usually know when its done.  With abstract art, the paint and I just work together.  Sometimes it leads the way.  I never know where it’s going to end up, but it’s always an adventure.”

Public Square Park 1913

Public Square circa 1900

Photos courtesy of the Medina Community Design Committee

A Holiday Open House at the home of Mud Mothers Pottery owner, Elaine Lamb featured the work of several area artisans.

For the slide show of offerings, click here.

The two and one-half story parking deck was funded by the City of Medina,  Medina County and the Medina County Library System.  The $5.1 million project is an important investment in Medina’s historic downtown district and provides 352 parking spaces – 200 more than were previously available with surface parking.

The new facility contains enhanced architectural features, including a brick façade to compliment the adjacent courthouse complex and the surrounding historic district, and conforms to the historic district’s guidelines.